


High School Is Hard!

by The_Firebird



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Pixar Movies, School, Stressed Peter Parker, Tutoring, frostiron if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29302554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Firebird/pseuds/The_Firebird
Summary: So I was on the Frostiron discord and we were talking about school and asking Tony Stark for help with homework and I was like... what if Peter did that, so this was born.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Peter Parker, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	High School Is Hard!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theorytale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorytale/gifts).



> I hope I'm gifting this to the right person. :)

  
  


Tony stood in the kitchen, drinking his coffee while it was still hot enough to burn his tongue. He’d had to attend a charity gala the night before, and the people combined with the lack of the company he  _ wanted _ to be there, something to do with politics on Asgard, had produced a long night in the workshop which had given way to an early morning in the kitchen. The inventor stood before his sink, staring into nothing, contemplating going back to bed and just skipping whatever he had to do on a Saturday.

However, a glance at his calendar made him sigh. He couldn’t skip today, he had to give his speech to the new interns, and while usually he might ask Pepper to cover, Peter was in today’s group. 

He couldn’t let Peter down.

So that was why he dragged himself away from the sink, mug refilled with his third round of coffee, and into his bedroom to shower and get ready for the day. By the time he was somewhat ready to go downstairs, he was getting a phone call. 

It was odd for Aunt May to call him, but he had given her his cell number for a reason, so he answered. 

“Hey, what’s up?”

_ “Hey, I just got Peter’s report card. He’s not failing anything, but he’s close to some C’s in some classes. His teachers wrote comments about him not turning in his work, and I want to make sure that this new internship isn’t going to interrupt his schooling.” _

“I mean, it’ll probably be an adjustment, just like any job or after school program, but we won’t be working him too hard. Just a few hours a week at first, at least until he’s out of school.”

_ “I understand, and it’s important for him to get some experience… but if you have a moment, do you think you could talk to him about it? Not like… not like a lecture but I- and of course you don’t have to, I know you’re a busy man and you’ve probably got a lot of stuff going on and-” _

“May, don’t worry about it. I’ll ask him about it. I’ll keep it casual.”

_ “Thank you. I’ve got to go. Bye.” _

“Bye.” 

The call ended, leaving Tony was given something else to think about. Peter was an exceptionally bright kid, it was part of the reason he was so welcome in the tower, but even the self-proclaimed genius had had some classes that stumped him for a while, and he would get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

Helping people was a noble cause, but school was more important. 

Soon enough, though, 10:00 was rolling around and JARVIS was informing him that some of the interns were arriving. Tony walked into the elevator and waited as it reached the floor he was meant to be on, walking down a hall or two and into a room with about twenty-odd fresh and excited faces, many of whom were frozen at seeing a celebrity. 

Tony, being used to the attention, waved them off, searching through the crowd for the face he was looking for. When he found it, he wanted to frown, but didn’t fully let it show. Peter looked excited, yes, but he also looked exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes, he was slouching down, he was holding a togo cup with what Tony could only think was coffee. 

He made his speech, telling the class about his plans for renewable energy and more advanced technology. Showing them around the lab, and what kind of advancement they could expect based on how well they did, as well as the scholarship programs Stark Industries offered. 

It was a speech he had given so many times, it was almost second nature, going through everything that hadn’t changed much in the past few years. Through it all, he rarely took his eyes off Peter. 

What could he say? He was worried.

After the hour was over. And everybody had their schedules and materials to bring with them for their first day, people started to filter out. Peter was one of the last ones out, getting into an elevator by himself and pressing a button. JARVIS held the doors open, though, and Tony stepped in. 

“Going up?”

“Uh, Mr. Stark, actually I was just going to go back home.”

“I figured I could treat you to lunch, ask you about how you’re feeling?”

“I gotta ask Aunt May, she expects me to come home.”

“I told her I was going to offer, she was okay with it. Of course, you don’t have to, but I’d like to spend some time with you if you’d like?”

“Okay, sure!” Peter smiled at him, like he wasn’t expecting Tony to be anything other than completely formal, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. This kid looked stressed beyond belief. 

JARVIS started moving the elevator once Peter agreed, bringing them straight to the penthouse without stopping. When they got to the top, it was only a couple of doorways until they arrived at the kitchen. 

“There’s some drinks in the fridge, I figured sandwiches were good?”

“Works for me.”

“Grab your fixins, it should be pretty stocked up.”

They made their sandwiches in near-silence, the occasional mocking comments about each other’s choices. They sat across from each other at the table, Peter was the first to speak up. 

“So, what did you want to talk about, Mr. Stark?”

“A few things. But you just looked exhausted. I figured you could use a break, even just to eat a sandwich.”

“Uh, thanks.” Peter blushed a bit, looking down.

“How’s school going?”

“I- uh- it’s fine.”

“Peter?”

“I just- you already know don’t you?” Tony nodded. “I just- I’m trying. But it’s hard. I’m stuck where I am in calculus. It’s just not making any sense anymore! And then my other teachers keep wanting me to join their after school programs, and I keep telling them that I can’t, that I have other responsibilities. Then they offer to talk to Aunt May and stuff and I keep asking them not to, and it’s better now that she knows about… you know… but then I’m still getting a bunch of homework and I’m spending so much time staring at the calculus that doesn’t make any sense that I don’t do any other homework and I’ll stay up all night, then I have to go out, then I don’t get any sleep and then I go back to school the next day and none of my homework is done and everything just gets worse. I do okay on the tests in my other classes. It’s just- the numbers aren’t adding up!”

Peter had raised his voice by the end of his sentence, and started staring at the remaining half of his sandwich. He pushed the plate away, no longer feeling hungry. The spiderling put his hands in his lap and looked anywhere except the man sitting across from him.

“So you need a tutor in calc?”

“No, I don’t have time to stay after school. It’s just that class. I think I have to drop it.”

“If you want to drop it, I’m not going to stop you. Hell, if people keep giving you trouble, I’ll talk to them myself. But if you don’t really want to drop it, maybe I could help you out.”

“You would be my tutor?”

“Yeah- I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve actually looked at a book of how to do things, but I do these kinds of calculations all the time. I’m sure I could help you with whatever you need. And if I can’t, well, JARVIS can do just about anything I can’t. So what do you say?”

“You’ve got a lot to do, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Listen, kid. I might be in the workshop a lot, but half the time I’m just tinkering. I’m only ever working on important things like a quarter of the time, and even then, you’re more important, kiddo.”

“I don’t have my school stuff with me.”

“Not today. You look tired enough that I wouldn’t make you work even if you did. I was thinking we could put on a movie or something and you could rest up.”

“I think I’d like that.”

Peter ended up finishing his sandwich, and they made their way to the living room, where Bruce already sat watching an old Pixar movie. It was still in the beginning. 

“Mind if we join you?”

“Be my guest.”

The two of them sat on the couch, the other scientist sitting in his own chair. Halfway through the movie, Peter ended up falling asleep against the arm. Tony got up to grab a throw blanket and moved his feet up onto the cushion. 

They ended up putting on two more movies, Peter waking up as the third one was ending. 

He went home, with plans to come in the next day for tutoring. 

  
Tony was slightly less worried about Peter when he left, declining the offer for the ride back. He was glad to be able to get closer to the kid who he saw so much of himself in. But he would do anything to keep the teen from having to go through the hardships the inventor had faced, and would give him all the support he needed for everything he wanted to do.

With a heart like Peter’s, it’s what he deserved. 


End file.
